


The Second Chance

by Toni_FandomGeek



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Feels, Family Reunions, One Shot, Season 14 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 09:22:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18914092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toni_FandomGeek/pseuds/Toni_FandomGeek
Summary: I hope you enjoyed this little One Shot!I always wanted to write something about Henry getting the chance to meet the grown-up version of John and finally make peace with him. Henry being able to talk himself out and explain to John that he could never abandon his beloved son, that it was never his intention leaving him behind. He just couldn't return to him again and blamed himself (just like Dean blamed Henry) for the terrible childhood and life John had, only because he couldn't travel back in time to him.Leave a comment to let me know what you think about this One Shot!Also, feel free to tell me your own point of view about how you think the first meeting between the grown-up version of John and Henry should have looked like :)





	The Second Chance

That's it. This is the end.

A thousand thoughts are rushing through Henry Winchester's mind while a powerful blast wave, a brightened sea of blue and white, crashed upon his body, causing him to hurl across the room. It’s one of those moments in life that time is simply decreasing in pace.

The dangerous glow of mesmerizing blue eyes of the Archangel Michael is vastly beginning to sear into his soul. It’s an image he will presumably never get rid of. Henry can spot the piercing eyes of icy blue begin to gently fade, giving way to crystalline green. What feels like a second extending to eternity, his back crashes against the wall right before the Man of Letters slumps onto the cold, concrete flooring.

With a sharp gasp, the Winchester desperately tries to fill his lungs with air again. Dull echoes of familiar voices permeate to his ear. He can pinpoint the metallic flavor of blood filling his mouth. Automatically he rolls onto his side to cough out the warm thick liquid that leaves red sparks painting the floor. The color jumps out like a neon sign as if it wants to remind him just how vulnerable and useless he is, being close to unconsciousness and leaving his family alone in a fight about death or life against the archangel Michael himself.

The world starts to spin in front of Henry's half-lidded amber eyes. His vision is blurry, yet his mind is unexpectedly clear. He thought to himself, 'Is there still a chance to defeat the livid Archangel? Are the others alright?' Assumptions like these are keeping his mind occupied. With effort, he can spot an approaching figure, a silhouette that is quick to close the space, as it knelt down beside him hastily. "Henry!! Hey man, can you hear me? ", an utterly concerned voice raised suddenly before he could feel someone scoop his weakened body up from the cold, hardened ground. Henry's eyes are fluttering, desperately trying to make out the kneeling figure before him. "D-Dean..?", is all the Man of Letters managed to mutter before everything around him gets swallowed in impenetrable darkness...

\---------

It’s been almost six years that Henry activated a blood sigil to time travel from his year, 1958, to the year 2013 to conceal a key from the Knight of Hell Abaddon.  
Long story short, Henry and his grandchildren Sam and Dean Winchester had managed to stop Abaddon. Unfortunately, there's no chance for Henry to return to his own time. Fooling around with time can lead to drastic consequences, starting with John Winchester growing up to be a Man of Letters, raising Sam and Dean to follow in his footsteps. Without the brothers being the noble hunters they are today, all of the innocent lives they have saved through the years would have been all for nothing.  
Saving People. Hunting Things. The Family Business. This wouldn't exist.

So, instead of Henry retrieving back to his time, as well as the Winchester brothers either demolishing or hiding the key which Abaddon craved to obtain, Sam and Dean, along with their grandfather Henry, decided to remain at the vicinity the key gives access to - The Bunker, which is the headquarters of the Men of Letters, a construction filled with broad knowledge of the supernatural the Men of Letters have retrieved over the last centuries. This bunker has become the closest thing to call home and that they would cherish for the rest of their lives (other than Dean's beloved black '67 Chevy Impala, of course).  
\---------

"How is that even possible?!", Sam protested, concern and disbelief radiating through the tone in his voice. "Why would Michael let you go? Just like that-- This makes no sense at all!"  
While the younger Winchester brother desperately tries to seek a deeper signification in Michael's possible plans, Dean doesn’t necessarily listen to him anymore. Flashbacks consisting of clear images and scenes are the only things Dean is focused on. The horrible proceedings Michael has used Dean for... It's like Dean can still feel the blood of the Archangel's victims on his skin, hear their horrific, terrorizing screams echoing from the walls of the massive hall, and see the despair and misery in their pleading eyes.

Dean shudders and turns on his heels to quickly walk down the long corridors of the bunker, trying to obliviate the memories out of his mind. Mary anxiously craves to follow her oldest son, but Sam motions her to let him go. Sam knows if any of them would try to talk to Dean right now... It would only make things worse. Dean needs space to process the intense terrors he’s had to go through.

The next few hours are filled with inferior strain for each of them. Either of them knows it's just a matter of time until Michael will return to the spotlight with a big surprise. He's for sure having a trick up his sleeve. Why else would he just allow Dean to escape him? It's obvious that their issue didn't just disappear like that. It never does. Team Free Will 2.0 usually always has to desperately fight until they barely manage to stand on their own two feet any longer before they pass it and stumble over right to the next one.  
This time, they seem to get a break before the fight continues, some precious time to recover so the battle won't be over too quickly. Assumable Michael wants to make it last longer to cherish it for some more time.

Sam and Mary are focusing on research based on uncovering anything useful to defeat Michael. Sam insisted on Dean trying to catch up on sleep after his traumatic experience as the Archangel's unintentional co-worker. Dean knows it would make no sense to pretend he's fine. His younger brother knows he isn't. Though it's already expected, it's not going to be so easy for him to actually sleep. At least not without a nightmare. Castiel and Jack are spending the time taking care of Henry first, tending to his injuries, and right after doing anything in their powers to try to locate their winged misdirected counterpart Michael. And Henry? He's growing out of unconsciousness once more, stretching out his limbs, only to search his body for any sort of wound. Nothing... Even after six years of living with two literal celestial beings together, it's still quite unfamiliar to him that they can actually heal wounds, nearly any kind of wound even...

\---------

As if Henry wouldn’t feel useless enough already, in the instant he discovers everyone in the main hall of the bunker, he perceives them working on a way to stop Michael while he has been resting from his previous attack. Not just that... Dean doesn't seem to be possessed anymore. He only vaguely remembers Dean being by his side after his attack. Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't sure if it was just a hallucination or reality. "Dean-- You're-- How did you succeed in getting rid of the Archangel??", he breaths out, giving in the temptation to stroll up to his oldest grandson, throwing his arms around him for a usual tight Winchester hug. Yes... A lot has changed in the past six years. Dean and Henry learned to finally get along. Or better yet, Dean eventually acknowledged that Henry certainly is not to blame. Henry had no other choice... All he did was what he had to, to protect the Men of Letter's headquarters collectively with the obtained knowledge. Dean knows that better than anyone else. He was the one who stopped Henry from going back in time again to make things right in the first place.

Dean leans into his grandfather's embrace, returning the hug just as tightly. "He was just-- gone. I'm not sure why. But for certain he will come back, assembling his last final strike. All we can do is take the chance to work on a surprise, kicking his feathery ass instead.", he growls out in a determined way, patting Henry's shoulder before releasing the embrace again. Henry is nodding slowly and starts pacing around the table to analyze all of the collected occult objects on the table in unsophisticated reverence. The Man of Letters is this preoccupied that he doesn't even notice everyone watching his every move. Clearly, they hope Henry knows anything about those objects, and if there is anything that could be of use against a misdirected Archangel.

Suddenly, his amber eyes are widening in surprise. "The pearl!", he calls out after spotting a small inconspicuous looking pearl in a velvet bag. "This could be the solution to defeat Michael." Castiel is the first one who manages to form words. "How? What does it do?", he asks quickly, his deep, gravelly voice filled with a new spark of hope. Sam, Dean, Mary, Castiel and Jack. All of them are glancing at Henry in anticipation. "C'mon, spit it out already!", Dean interrupts the short silence impatiently between Castiel's pause and Henry, who just wanted to form the answer everyone craves to hear right in this second. "The pearl...", he starts. "It grants wishes. You have to close your hand around it and it will make your deepest desire come true." Dean gasps out surprised: "That's it!! That's our win! We will get rid of Michael. I will do it. Give me the pearl. There's nobody wanting this son of a bitch gone as much as I do."

Discussing their options shortly, they agree on Dean to grant the wish. Carefully and filled with a mix of apprehension, desperation and hope, Dean takes the pear, closing his eyes. He takes a few deep breaths and tries to focus on the one thing that matters - stopping Michael from destroying Chuck's most treasurable creation - humanity.

The lights in the bunker flicker before they go out completely, submerging the bunker in dimmed red emergency lights. All of a sudden, they can pinpoint a movement in the shadows. A hectic fight starts to rage, the clicking of a loaded shotgun causing everyone to freeze. "Don't. Move.", a husky low voice warns.

Silence.

The power seems to replenish, and the lights flicker back on again, revealing the figure in the darkened shadows. Another few seconds seem to pass by, speechless silence surrounding the room until Dean manages to break the unsettling silence first.

"Dad??!"

"Dean--??"

John Winchester's eyes are widening, slowly processing what's going on. He lowers the weapon, eyes wandering from Dean to Sam, then back to Dean.

"Dean?? ... Sammy?? What the hell is happening?", he pauses and raises his gaze to examine the remaining figures in the room. This is the moment where he loses it.

"Mary... How...??"

But before he could even finalize his sentence, Henry hesitantly takes a step forward to receive a better view.

"J-John... Is that really you?", Henry stutters, his amber eyes glistening with salty tears. He already gave up on being able to see his son grow up. He especially never imagined he'd ever be able to solve things with him, explaining that he never could have left John. If there would have been the slightest possibility to return to him, Henry would have taken that chance immediately.

"This can't be possible... Dad...??", John can't believe his own eyes. He's so overwhelmed with emotions that he doesn't know who to cling to first, so he's just standing there, his heart pounding rapidly against his chest while he tries to understand what is going on. "How...??", he breathlessly repeats his previous inquiry, his eyes scanning around the room. There are two faces that he doesn't know, Jack and Castiel, but that's not the most important thing to ask about now.

"What... What year is it?", Sam questions, tearful eyes locked on the father he thought he'd lost forever. John turns to face him, a brow raising in confusion. Why are they talking about /this/ topic /now/? "It's 2003..." Slowly Sam shakes his head. "Dad, it's 2019.", the younger hunter pauses. "I think... I think we summoned you..."

"You boys better tell me what the hell is going on." John still struggles to process the whole unbelievable situation.  
In between downing a glass of whiskey, Sam and Dean are filling in all the details of what John has missed throughout the years. They tell him about how Henry managed to time travel here, how they found the bunker, how Mary got a second chance in life, who Castiel and Jack are, and most importantly, they explain to him about how he accidentally got summoned in the first place.

"So... You saved the world?", John repeats, more to himself to make sure he understood it all right.

A small grin is pulling at the corner of Dean's lips, correcting his father. "More than once."

"And it's all true?", the Winchester brother's father pauses again. "God, the devil. You boys smacked in the middle and now you live with an angel, Lucifer's kid, Mary and my dad?"

The boys nod and cannot stop smiling to themselves. Henry stays more in the background, not exactly sure what John thinks about him after his absence messed up his whole childhood, more importantly his whole life...

"John..", Henry finally says, hesitantly taking a step forward. John's gaze is gluing onto his father’s. The Man of Letters can't exactly pinpoint the emotions in John's eyes. It creates a mixture of pain and a certain softness. The slight hint of warmth and affection in his eyes is giving Henry the strength to approach him.

John was a legacy. Henry was supposed to teach him the ways of the Letters, but that doesn't matter now. He is /so/ proud of his son, and what he has become.

"I-- I can't imagine how horrible it must have been thinking I left you behind. You have to know that I... I never would have left intentionally. John, I didn't abandon you. I was stuck here. How ironic, I was here with your boys all this time...", he shakes his head with a played small smile that only lasts for a second, tears slowly rolling down Henry's cheeks as he meets his son's gaze again. "It's not fair... I ruined your whole life for the greater good. But for me... /you/ are the most important thing in this world. I--", his voice breaks. "It's unforgivable, and I will never stop blaming myself for doing this to you. John, I-- I'm so sorry... I can't even put into words how sorry I am... I know this won't make the situation any better... Not a day passed that I didn't think of you. Reading your journal... You have no idea how hard it was. I never stopped loving you, son. Not for a second. You have to believe me. I'd have returned to you without a second thought if I would have had the chance..."  
\---------

Dean's words his way, six years ago will never stop haunting Henry's mind:

((FLASHBACK))

<< Dean: "Well, he learned things a little differently."  
Henry: "How?"

Dean: "The hard way. Surviving a lonely childhood, a stinkin’ war... only to get married and have his wife taken by a demon... and later killed by one himself. That man got a bum rap around every turn. But you know what? He kept going. And in the end, he did a hell of a lot more good than he did bad." >>

\---------

John listens to each of Henry's words. Tears are streaming down his cheeks as well. "Dad..", he manages to say.

Simply hearing his son calling him dad causes Henry's heart to break even more. Not being able to hold back any longer, he closes the space between them, hugging his beloved son as tight as possible.

"I forgive you...", John adds under tears. "It's not your fault. Neither of this is. You took care of my boys. This is more I could ask for."

Henry shakes his head, still clinging to his son. "Thank you... I don't deserve to be forgiven. But hearing this from you... It means everything. John, I'm so grateful we were granted this chance to solve things. I'm... I'm so proud of you, son. You did so amazing with your boys. They are true heroes. And so are you... I love you, John."

"I love you too, dad.", John replies, sniffling while he clenched onto his father that he presumed had abandoned. He was wrong. During his whole life until the day he died, he has assumed his own father gave up on him.

Henry always felt so useless, and despised himself for not being able to tell his son everything he just did. Now the Man of Letters finally found what he seeked his whole life for - Peace. Peace with his son. Even though he will have to say goodbye forever to him at the end of the day, he will still be at peace. He got granted a second chance. Who else is this lucky to be able making things right again after their loved ones were long dead already?

\---------

The rest of the day, the happily united Winchester family got to spend precious time together. Many more tears were shed, kisses between Mary and John have been shared, happy memories have been exchanged, lots of desperate cuddles have been shared, and they even all added their initials on the table in the main hall of the bunker.

DW. SW. MW. JW. HW. CW. JK/W.

The breaking of the pearl left them all winching. The whole night they've spent crying and drinking. But they weren't only heartbroken. No. They were also extremely happy and in peace.

They got granted a second chance. And they took it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little One Shot!
> 
> I always wanted to write something about Henry getting the chance to meet the grown-up version of John and finally make peace with him. Henry being able to talk himself out and explain to John that he could never abandon his beloved son, that it was never his intention leaving him behind. He just couldn't return to him again and blamed himself (just like Dean blamed Henry) for the terrible childhood and life John had, only because he couldn't travel back in time to him.
> 
> Leave a comment to let me know what you think about this One Shot!  
> Also, feel free to tell me your own point of view about how you think the first meeting between the grown-up version of John and Henry should have looked like :)


End file.
